Good webcam ideas needed please

[DougM43]

We'll after a frustrating day and a half trying to install my toucam pro onto a windows 7 laptop, I've followed and tried everything I've found on the net ..I have now given up.

Is there a webcam I can pick up from PC world that can be easily modified, preferably with the eyepiece adaptor I already have from the toucam and will work well for lunar and planetary photography.

Many thanks, doug

[Atreta]

Hi,

the xbox live vision camera is fairly easy to mod and it will fit that nosepiece too and gives very good results.

But before you buy it, why won't you post here what is the problem with the toucam?

I think it's worth to try to solve it (i know you said you tried everything) as others might had passed the same problems as you.

[DougM43]

Ok, I tried this, (many times)

http://www.astronomyforum.net/astronomy-digital-cameras-forum/91582-philips-toucam-pro-pcvc840k.html

I really thought I had cracked it right up to the point of saving, when a box came up saying it was unable to save the changes,,, arghhhh brick wall..

I also tried this, ( many times)

http://mrgnome.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/win7-philips-toucam-windows-7-driver-fix-problem-solved/

Unfortunately not problem -solved, even though I tell the computer where to find the update it comes up saying update not found. How frustrating is that ??

I guess there is another option and that is to buy an older laptop that is running windows xp, about £100, that way I won't be risking my fairly new laptop outside in the damp and cold, ( or if I'm truly honest,, the wife's fairly new laptop)

any ideas folks?

[hazegood]

In the second link you posted did you actually extract the zip file to its own folder before you tried to install the driver?

You must do this, even though win 7 will show the zip file as a normal folder in win explorer

 

[DougM43]

Thanks, I did yes or at least I think so, when I extracted the files a second folder appeared on the desktop containing the files, it was this file I directed the updater too.

[JamesF]

A second laptop may make sense, but I *think* you only need the WinXP machine to update the firmware.  Once that's done the camera should work fine on Win7 as an SPC900.

I think  You should probably check with someone who knows more about this.  I've never used the Toucam.

James

[DougM43]

Cheers James, I've made the decision to buy a laptop running xp, at least that way it should work and I'm not using the wife's new one.